In recent years, the proliferation of digital photography has provided consumers with a variety of options to store and use captured images. These options include various “soft copy” methods involving memory cards, memory sticks, CD's, DVD's, hard drives, on-line storage etc. These “soft-copy” options, while providing the environmental benefit of eliminating the paper, ink or dye, and other chemicals required for “hard-copy” output, are potentially less secure for long term storage due to media format obsolescence, storage media physical or chemical breakdown, and on-line storage companies disappearing. A variety of options exist for customers to print digital images, including conventional silver halide processing, ink-jet, thermal dye transfer, and electrophotographic methods. These “hard-copy” methods are capable of providing printed output which can last for many decades. Although customers can make such “hard-copy” prints at home, modern retail outlets provide kiosks and order-terminals where both prints and additional services can be requested and provided. Similar services are also available from on-line companies such as Shutterfly.
An increasingly popular service provides photo albums or photo books with collections of images associated with a specific event, such as a vacation, family gathering, school function etc. The photo books are composed of printed images produced by any one of a wide variety of printing methodologies that are bound together in book form. The photo books can be custom made at retail stores or at centralized facilities.
In order to provide personalization, it is often desirable to provide an image on the cover of the photo book that can be viewed without opening the book. In this way, the cover image can provide an indication of the contents of the photo book.
The cover image can be provided in a variety of different ways, many of which are impractical for use in a home or retail environment. Some photo books are provided with printable front surfaces. However, this require specialized printing equipment capable of printing on a thick inflexible surface. This also limits options for the color of the photo book cover since a white background is required for a printable surface.
Some photo books include prefabricated covers that are provided with a window cut into the front cover that enables the first image in the book to be viewed while the book is closed. This approach has the disadvantage of not protecting the first print while the book is closed. Additionally, the window is typically much smaller than the size of the cover, thereby limiting the view of the first print. Furthermore, this approach constrains the cover image to correspond to the first image in the photo book which can sometimes distract from the context of the story being told through the sequential page sequence of the photo book.
Another technique for providing a cover image for a photo book involves heat laminating a printed image to the front surface of the book cover using heat activated adhesive activated using a lamination press. This approach requires expensive equipment and highly trained operators. Similarly, printed images can also be attached to photo book covers with pressure sensitive adhesives. A disadvantage of these approaches is that if the image is misaligned during the heat lamination process the photo book will be rendered useless and cannot be sold. Additionally, they are susceptible to entrapping air during the lamination process producing unsightly bubbles from the entrapped air. Furthermore, the surface and edges of the laminated image are exposed so that the cover image will be susceptible to physical damage and stains.
An additional technique utilizes a custom printed dust jack. This approach has the disadvantage that the dust jacket is subject to misalignment and damage, and can be easily separated from the book cover. It also requires printing on a large piece of media to encompass both the front and back cover, and performing a series of precise folds. Also dust jackets lack the pleasing aesthetic appearance of a custom produced and finished photo book.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,001,960 to Holson, “Photo album cover with framed insert,” discloses a padded type photo album incorporating a metallic frame disposed in an opening in the album cover for displaying a photographic print.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,164,085 to Steeb et al., entitled “Album having picture receiving frame assembly in cover,” discloses a keepsake album having a frame assembly embed in its padded front cover for displaying a personalized photograph.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,378,022 to French, entitled “Pouch for paper notebooks,” discloses a transparent, flexible plastic pouch that attaches to the front cover of a notebook such as a spiral wire bound notebook and is used for containing personal items such as pencils, erasers and rulers. The pouch includes a flap or other type of closure for closing an interior pocket.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,490,739 to Olson, entitled “Window display photo album,” describes a three-piece folder for holding a photograph that includes an aperture for viewing the photograph. The folder includes holes at one edge for mounting into a loose leaf binder.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,003,901 to Takemura, entitled “Combined photo album and picture frame and an easel therefor,” discloses a combined photo album and picture frame including a front cover configured as a frame for holding a photograph. It also provides a plurality of pages for holding photographs and an easel for the structure. A pocket is provided in the back cover for storing the easel. This approach does not have the appearance and utility of a custom made photo album.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,305,714 to Rossetto et al., entitled “Folder with framed windows and method of manufacturing thereof,” discloses a folder having a pocket panel and framed windows. A sheet containing content information is insertable within the pocket to be viewable through the framed windows.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,845,582 to Ho, entitled “Photo-frame style photo album,” incorporates a conventional picture frame with internal pages of “loose-bags”designed to accept standard sized photo prints. It does not have the appearance and utility of a custom made photo album.
U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2009/0284002 to Miranti, entitled “Board book photo album,” describes a sturdy photo album with a plurality of stiff pages, each having die cutout opening and having a slot with an opening along an edge of the upper portion. Pieces of clear plastic are used to cover the die cutout openings in the pages. The album is designed for inserting two photographs, back to back, through the opening into the slot in the upper portion of each page and arranging the photographs for viewing through the die cutout openings in each page. This approach places a limit on the size of the photo book and the number of images that can be included. It also subjects the installed photographs to potential damage since there are no seals provided on the photograph insertion slots. Also each page has an aperture for accommodating two back to back photographs which could subject the photographs to physical damage.
There remains a need for a convenient, low-cost method for affixing a printed image onto a book cover that is appropriate for fabricating photo books in a retail environment without the need for specialized equipment or highly-trained operators.